No foreign entity or government has any locus standi to comment on the fundamental rights of Indian citizens, the government said on Thursday, rejecting a report by the US state department on the alleged curtailment of religious freedom in India.
The Indian govt has been slow to react when violence has taken place, the US said.
Obama made no reference to any country in his speech but said that his administration works to promote religious freedom around the globe.
Tthe Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said it opposes the UCC as it is "totally against the religious freedom and fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens in Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution."
Forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinge on the religious freedom of citizens, the top court had said recently and asked the Centre to step in and make sincere efforts to tackle the "very serious" issue.
The Calcutta high court on Thursday granted interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested by the Kolkata police for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments.
'Whenever present-day politics do get involved, history sinks to the level of a morality play, with advocates for this or that cause seeking to praise their heroes or condemn their villains.'
The Indian government defended the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in the Supreme Court, arguing that waqf, while an Islamic concept, is not an essential part of Islam. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that waqf is essentially charity, which is recognized across religions, and cannot be considered a fundamental tenet of any faith. He also argued that the amended law addresses secular aspects of waqf and activities unrelated to Islam, and that "waqf by user" does not grant ownership of public land. Mehta highlighted the extensive consultations involved in the bill's creation, including feedback from various stakeholders. The hearing will continue on Thursday.
Gond also claimed that the Dargah premises was the meditation site of Maharaja Suheldev's guru, Rishi Balark.
'The Election Commission's involvement in the avoidable SIR controversy has carried a message down to the last voter -- who just does not like it,' observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The board said that practices provided by Muslim Personal Law on the issues of marriage, divorce and maintenance were based on holy scripture Al-Quran and "courts cannot supplant its own interpretations over the text of scriptures".
'What is going on is the under counting of the migration population in urban areas.' 'It has been going on in the last few censuses.'
The Supreme Court would likely hear on Wednesday a plea of Ashoka University's faculty Ali Khan Mahmudabad against his arrest for his social media posts over Operation Sindoor.
Blinken asserts that America will continue to stand up for religious freedom around the world.
The leaders of the grouping who met under India's presidency in New Delhi adopted the Delhi Declaration in which they emphasised the freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
Steve Waugh expressed disbelief at 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's impeccable timing and advised him to focus on 'control' to avoid being a supernova.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-RSS of carrying out a "well-planned conspiracy" against national heroes and said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's ideology was contrary to the RSS' ideas. He defended the relationship between Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, saying they were "two sides of the same coin". He also criticized the BJP-RSS for their alleged attempts to appropriate the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
In one video, apparently of the attack, a shirtless man holding clear bottles in his hands is seen pacing as the grass in front of him burns.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Sullivan indicated that President Biden would raise his concerns on human rights with Modi.
Ashoka Univeristy associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been arrested for his social media post on Operation Sindoor, police said in Sonipat on Sunday.
An American court has ruled in favour of a decorated Sikh Army Captain who had demanded that the military accommodate his articles of faith.
Can a culture survive as a way of life, even as the language and writing at its core, alter with time? Can we be rational and Malayalee or do we have to necessarily be religious and proudly cultural to be Malayalee? asks Shyam G Menon.
Describing India as an important member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad) and a crucial partner for stability in the Indo-Pacific, the letter said that the lawmakers support the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries.
The Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, will debate the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday. The bill has been met with strong opposition from several parties who claim it is unconstitutional. The government, however, insists the bill aims to improve the management of Waqf properties in India by bringing transparency and efficiency.
The Gujarat high court had through its orders dated August 19 and August 26, 2021 had stayed the operation of section 5 of the state government's Freedom of Religion Act of 2003.
A leading expert predicts that the incoming Trump administration will likely continue its pro-India policies, including the Indo-Pacific strategy and Quad, but highlights potential challenges such as trade disagreements, immigration issues, and a possible quid pro quo for technology sharing. The expert also notes that the Trump 2.0 administration may prioritize great power politics over strategic altruism, potentially impacting human rights and religious freedom concerns.
'A man with a gun commanded respect. I thought if I also got a gun, I could save my family. With this thought, I went to Pakistan and got training there'
Introducing the bill, Rijiju said the consultation process of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was the largest ever exercise carried out by a parliamentary panel in India's democratic history.
'Trump's desire to withdraw the US from some arenas on the global stage will result in ceding space to China.'
Mahmudabad, head of the political science department at the private university, was arrested on Sunday after two FIRs were lodged on stringent charges, including endangering sovereignty and integrity, for his social media posts related to Operation Sindoor, police and his lawyer said.
'...We should first look at and acknowledge what we have done to ourselves.' 'To not do so opens us to the accusation of rank hypocrisy and also reduces the stature of our globetrotting peaceniks,' asserts Aakar Patel.
Kharge claimed that the Centre accepted "intelligence failure" in an all-party meeting and said it should be held accountable for "not reinforcing" security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people.
'It is important India to stay focussed on its primary national objectives: Combating terrorism; not losing sight of other security and strategic concerns (on the Sino-Indian front for instance); ensuring a strong economy and registering growth which includes improving the lot of common people; and finally making certain that the social fabric remains intact and harmony among people is not jeopardised, at least any further,' asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Saturday appealed for complete freedom to practise various religions saying that there may be differences in philosophies of different religions but all profess the same message of love and compassion.
A key United States Congressional committee has called for a public hearing on the rights and freedoms of religious minorities in India to be held early next month.
The Supreme Court of India has strongly criticized the police for suppressing freedom of speech by filing FIRs against artists for their performances, stating that mere recitation of a poem, stand-up comedy, or any form of art cannot be alleged to incite hatred or animosity between communities. The court quashed an FIR against Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi, who was booked for a song performed at a mass marriage function, emphasizing that such actions stifle legitimate expressions of view in a free society.
A resolution calls the US Secretary of State to designate India as a country of particular concern for alleged violation of religious freedom.
Standing near the noose, he recited a couplet in which he said he wished nothing but to sacrifice his life for the motherland. Utkarsh Mishra remembers Ram Prasad Bismil on the revolutionary leader's 128th birth anniversary.
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